News

August 3, 2026 - Chatham County Launches Conservation Dashboard

The Chatham County Planning Department has launched a comprehensive Conservation Dashboard that measures progress toward the conservation goals established in Plan Chatham, the county's comprehensive land use plan adopted in 2017. The new dashboard provides a quantifiable review of progress in achieving the county's conservation-based goals. It serves as a record of accomplishments and a planning tool to help identify future conservation priorities. The next phase of this conservation initiative will use the dashboard's findings to identify conservation objectives that have not yet been achieved and develop a detailed implementation plan with actionable next steps.

July 2026 - North Carolina's State Farm Act Extends Conservation Tax Credit for Land Conservation

This year's State Farm Act is extending an important conservation tool, the Conservation Tax Credit. The Conservation Tax Credit was a crucial tool for land conservation efforts from 1983 to 2013 but was repealed by the NC General Assembly in 2013. The NC General Assembly recently reestablished a credit for qualifying donations made in 2025 and 2026, and this year the credit has been extended to 2031. Extending the conservation tax credit will help conserve forests and farmland, habitat for fish and wildlife, public trails and access to public trails, military buffers, floodplain protection, and historic landscape conservation. Property owners in Chatham, Orange, Lee, Durham, Wake, and Johnston counties who are interested in the conservation tax credit can contact their local land trust Triangle Land Conservancy. Property owners in Alamance, Guilford, Rockingham, Randolph, Surry, Stokes, Caswell, Yadkin, and Forsyth counties can contact their local land trust Piedmont Land Conservancy.  

July 2026 - State Budget Includes $15 Million for Trails

The NC General Assembly's state budget includes $15 million in non-recurring (one-time) funding for trails. This amount includes funding for the Great Trails State Program grants to all types of non-motorized trails, the Complete the Trails Program grants for authorized State Trails (such as the Haw River State Trail), and State Trail Partner Capacity Building funds (including the partner organization for the Haw River State Trail). This $15 million also includes funding for the Great Trails State coalition to continue to promote trails and to educate and convene trail partners, and for NC State Parks for trails grant administration. The Great Trails State Coalition successfully advocated for funding for trails in the state budget and worked with key legislators to get funding for trails included in the state budget. Friends of Lower Haw is a member of the Great Trails State Coalition, a broad-based coalition of diverse nonprofits, agencies, and businesses advocating for increased state investment in all types of non-motorized trails statewide. We are also a member of the Executive Board of the Friends of Haw River State Trail that supports the development of land and paddle trails along the Haw River and its tributaries and encourages conservation along the trail corridor. 

June 2026 - FLOHA Partners with NHBA on New Sign Kiosk at Bynum Bridge

Friends of Lower Haw (FLOHA) has partnered with New Hope Bird Alliance (NHBA) to build a new sign kiosk next to the historic Bynum Bridge. Volunteers from both organizations pitched in on June 13th to build and paint the new kiosk. FLOHA has designed and installed a sign with photos about the history of the area, including the former mills, dams, bridges, and the state natural area. NHBA is designing a sign about birds that can be seen in the area. The new kiosk is funded by FLOHA and NHBA and was built with permission from NCDOT Division 8.  

May 2026 - FLOHA Receives Grant from Triangle Community Foundation Donor-Advised Fund

Friends of Lower Haw has received a generous grant donation from the Bill Wofford Innovation Fund of Triangle Community Foundation. Thank you! Friends of Lower Haw is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that does not charge membership dues, so we rely on grants and the generosity of donors to help us accomplish our stewardship, education, and advocacy work on behalf of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area and the Chatham County segment of the Haw River State Trail. 

March 31, 2026 - Digital Signs at Haw River Access Sites

E-Paper digital signs are now installed at the US 15-501 and US 64 Haw River access parking lots! These digital signs from Papercast are powered by solar panels and use a cellular data plan to display real-time information for visitors. This project was conceived and initiated by Gretchen Smith of Friends of Lower Haw, with completion implemented by Chatham County government and the county's Trails & Open Space Planner Ben Rippe. The digital signs display real-time information on park status, alerts, current weather conditions and weather forecast, air quality index, and river water level and flow. This project was part of a Haw River Safety Collaborative to develop a river warning system for safer use of the river that could serve as a model for other river systems throughout the state. Digital signs are commonly used in public transportation such as airports, bus terminals, and train stations to provide real-time information. This project developed an innovative use of digital signs at river access trailheads to take advantage of this technology for providing real-time information to river users for enhanced public safety. Digital signs are effective for capturing the public’s attention, especially inexperienced river users who may not know, or be inclined to look up, important information related to current conditions. Unlike static signs, digital signs can provide up-to-date information on river and weather conditions along with advisory messages such as flood and heat index warnings. Unlike LCD and LED, the E-Paper type of digital signs used for this project has high resolution clarity with high contrast making content easier to read even in direct sunlight, while avoiding light pollution at night.

March 1, 2026 - New Display Case Installed at US 64 Kiosk

Friends of Lower Haw has installed a new display case at the US 64 kiosk to replace the one lost during Tropical Storm Chantal. Donations to Friends of Lower Haw make purchases like this possible. Thanks to volunteers Zack Roscoe and Simon Smith for installing the display case.

February 2026 - New Web Page for Lower Haw River State Natural Area on State Parks Website

The NC State Parks website now includes a web page for the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. On the State Parks drop down list, select Lower Haw River State Natural Area and you will be taken to the new web page with information about the area, the history, and the ecology with beautiful photographs taken in the state natural area. Friends of Lower Haw collaborated with the Communications and Marketing Content Coordinator for NC State Parks on content and photos for the web page.

January 2026 - US 64 Kiosk Re-installed

The kiosk at the US 64 Haw River Canoe Access on 348 River Access Road has been re-installed after being damaged by Tropical Storm Chantal. The kiosk was knocked over by flooding caused by Chantal and carried across the parking lot where the broken parts were deposited in a pile on the other side. Chatham County Parks & Recreation staff were able to reassemble the components and re-installed the kiosk in a new location. The kiosk was originally built by Friends of Lower Haw in 2018 with the help of a Lowe's Heroes program grant from the Pittsboro Lowe's Home Improvement store.

December 2025 - Emily's Videos with Tips for Family Outings

Our board member Emily Behr is creating short videos with fun ideas and helpful tips for getting outside in nature with kids. They are now available on our YouTube channel.

September 26, 2025 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned for 2:00 to 3:00 PM

NC State Parks is holding a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 26th for the official reopening of the Bynum Mill Access. The year-long construction project includes a new restroom facility, new concrete paddle launch, and parking lot improvements that were funded by the Connect NC Bond and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). Friends of Lower Haw is hosting the event as the local Friends group that supports the Lower Haw River State Natural Area (LOHA). Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pamela Cashwell will be the featured guest speaker at the event. Other guest speakers include State Parks Director Brian Strong, Jordan Park Superintendent Brock Martin, and Friends of Lower Haw president Gretchen Smith. Program starts at 2:00, followed at 2:30 by a walking tour of the new amenities and history of the site led by Friends of Lower Haw. Light refreshments will be provided by Friends of Lower Haw. Parking is available at Bynum Mill Access on 160 Bynum Church Road. Additional parking is available at the State Parks parking lot on Bynum Road next to the historic bridge and at the Earl Thompson Park on 170 Bynum Hill Road. Join us for a celebration for the reopening of Bynum Mill Access. 

September 8, 2025 - Bynum Mill Access Has Reopened!

Both of the State Parks parking lots on Bynum Church Road and Bynum Road are now open. The Bynum Mill Access parking lot on Bynum Church Road has a new restroom and concrete paddle launch. Improvements were also made to both parking lots.

September 2025 - US 64 Haw River Canoe Access has reopened!

Chatham County Parks & Recreation has repaired the damage to the parking lot at the US 64 Haw River Canoe Access at 348 River Access Road. The parking lot has reopened.

August 9, 2025 - Bynum Mill Access Update!

The State Parks parking lot on Bynum Road next to the historic Bynum Bridge is now open! However, please be aware that their larger parking lot with the new canoe/kayak launch and restroom on Bynum Church Road is still closed to the public.

July 31, 2025 - Chatham County Awarded Great Trails State Program Grant

Chatham County has been awarded a Great Trails State Program grant for $251,294 to make improvements to the Pegg tract within the Lower Haw River State Natural Area (LOHA). This tract is upstream of the Bynum Dam and is a popular location for paddling, hiking, and fishing. The Pegg tract improvements are a high priority project included in Chatham's Haw River Trail Study adopted by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners in October 2023. LOHA is owned by NC State Parks, which must approve trail development and other improvements to the site. The Pegg tract is a designated nature preserve in addition to being a natural heritage area. Currently, an unofficial paddle launch is located above the dam and the riverbank is highly eroded. There are also informal “social” footpaths along the riverbank, floodplain, and throughout the site. Many of these social footpaths are low-lying and become muddy when it rains. Sustainable trail planning, design, and construction supports current and future use while minimizing impact to the area's natural ecosystems. We appreciate State Parks, Ben Rippe, and the Chatham County Commissioners for support for this project. Friends of Lower Haw is excited to be a partner in this initiative. 

July 7, 2025 - Aftermath of Tropical Storm Chantal 

Extreme rainfall and flooding from tropical storm Chantal have resulted in devastating loss of life and property. Chatham County received close to 1 foot of rain and the Haw River reached 22.49 feet at the USGS gage near Bynum on July 7th. Homes, businesses, roads, and recreation sites have been affected, with many closures due to flood damage. The kiosk/shade shelter at the US 64 Haw River Canoe Access parking lot was carried away by flood waters and left in a pile on the other side of the parking lot. We are awaiting assessment of the damage to see if it can be repaired and reassembled, or whether a new one will have to be built. 

June 2025 - Vandal Destroys Property at Bynum Mill Access

Park Superintendent Brock Martin notified us that one or more vandals have destroyed property at the Bynum Mill Access while the site was still closed to the public. The damage occurred over Father's Day weekend when gunshots damaged the solar panels and lights, and the new restroom building was also damaged. A few days later, one or more vandals stole part of the construction site's fence gate. After the stolen gate incident, State Parks put up yellow "No Trespassing" signs and a few days later someone tore off the "No Trespassing" signs. State Parks is working on repairing the damage to the site, and this damage has delayed the reopening. Superintendent Martin asks that if anyone has information, to please contact either him or the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Jordan Lake SRA Park Superintendent Brock Martin's phone number is 919-362-0586 ext. 231. Chatham County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency phone number is 919-542-2911. 

May 2025 - Update on Bynum Mill Access Construction Project

The construction project at Bynum Mill is getting closer to completion. Final inspection meetings by all parties should take place next month and there are still some erosion issues that need to be resolved. Park staff will also need time to install signage and other informational displays. Bynum Mill is still closed to the public until the official reopening. The construction project includes a new restroom facility, improved parking, and a new paddle launch. This project was funded by the 2016 Connect NC Bond and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). Bynum Mill is part of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area owned and managed by NC State Parks.

April 2025 - Bridge Signs Installed Over Haw River

Signage with road names to help paddlers navigate on the Haw River and assist with emergency rescues have been installed on Chicken Bridge Rd, Highway 15/501 and Highway 64 bridges. This effort was led by the Haw River Safety Collaborative (HRSC), a group of Chatham and Alamance county officials, Haw River users, emergency managers, and Central Pines Regional Council planners that met monthly to address safety concerns along the Haw. Friends of Lower Haw was an active participant in this group. HRSC's goal was to make using the Haw River a safer and more inviting experience for all. HRSC was funded by a Duke Energy Foundation Accelerator Grant Program award, one of 10 projects funded as part of the Regions for Innovating for Strong Economies and Environment (RISE) program led by the NC Office of Recovery and Resilience (NCORR). NCDOT Division 8 has been a valuable partner in this bridge signage project, helping to determine signage size and design, locations and installation of the signs. Signs are posted on both the upriver and down river side of the bridges as wayfinding aids. In locations where the river has multiple channels and sightlines to the bridges, multiple signs were hung so paddlers in any location on the river will be able to view a sign as they pass the bridge. As this is part of the Haw River State Trail, the signs also display the HRST logo. We would like to thank Chatham County's Trails & Open Space Planner, Ben Rippe, and NCDOT Division 8 for making this bridge sign project possible. 

March 2025 - TLC Acquires Land on Haw River

Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) has recently acquired 72 acres of land on the Haw River in Chatham County. The property includes riverfront and a Natural Heritage Area. This is the second property TLC has acquired along the Haw River corridor in Chatham County in the past two years. In 2023, TLC acquired 108 acres it is calling "Chicken Bridge Forest". Friends of Lower Haw would like to thank Margaret Sands, TLC's Associate Director of Land Protection (West), for her diligent efforts with land conservation along the Haw River corridor. 

February 2025 - FLOHA Receives 4imprint One by One Grant

Friends of Lower Haw has received a grant from the one by one Charitable Program of the 4imprint company, which awards promotional product grants to organizations that are making a difference. Products selected by 501(c)(3) non-profits, religious organizations, or accredited schools can be used to help them spread the word, recruit volunteers, thank donors, or in some other way turn one thing into something much more. We are grateful to be selected as one of the grant recipients this year. This is the second time Friends of Lower Haw has been chosen for this award. 

January 2025 - Meet Our New Student Intern

Shaelynn Grifaldo is our new UNC EcoStudio intern for Spring Semester. She is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geographic Information Sciences and Geography. Shaelynn's previous experience is with the Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, and the Uwharrie National Forest. She has a lot of experience with GIS mapping and modeling but wants to expand her environmental education experience by helping us with environmental education projects this spring. 

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